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I don't hear any left side rattle, am @ 27k on bike that has old style cam chain tensioner. Are we talking 3 parts to update: piston,"cap" & crush washer?
BTW, who's giving a discount on bike parts these days? Like many Chicago was my go to place with ~20% until they went out.

So is the wear coming from frequent cold starts? If so, then why would a "long trip,non-commuter bike" give a problem anytime soon? If not, when does the slap seem to appear, as in miles? Thanks for the part #'s!

So is the wear coming from frequent cold starts? If so, then why would a "long trip,non-commuter bike" give a problem anytime soon? If not, when does the slap seem to appear, as in miles? Thanks for the part #'s!

I don't think it is coming from cold starts or any specific mileage. The wear is coming from an empty cylinder on the tensioner due to the design and the way it sits upside down on the left side of the engine.

Stop motor = oil drains out. When you start up it takes a second or two to fill the tensioner up again and create that hydraulic pressure to maintain cam chain tension so during that short period the tensioner bar slaps around a bit and this causes wear.

The new one does not allow the oil to drain out so it's full when you start the motor up and this prevents tensioner bar play from occurring.

That's my rudimentary understanding of it anyway. I think Paul Glaves explained it better in here somewhere but the only thing that sucks worse than my memory is probably my forum searching results...

Bike is home, Yaaayyy!

Picked up my R thursday from Touring Sport in Greenville, SC. Good people to deal with. Arrived home friday afternoon, in the rain & mist, left the bike on the trailer went to DMV & got it registered. Unloaded yesterday in the sunshine, checked tire pressure and did a 40 mile loop. Really, really like this bike.
The tensioner was not done, that is on the list.
I'm not sure about the seat, I could use some more leg room. None of the #'s on the seat match up with the low, standard or high #'s on the parts fiche. Seat foam measures about 3" thick. Maybe have to go with lower peg brackets. I have a sheepskin around somewhere and I'll try the Bead seat from my K. I'll have to get some longer rides in before deciding.
What are folks using for tankbags, looking for something small to medium sized?
Headlight upgrade, is there room for an HID hi/low mechanism in the headlight shell? Please, lets not start the lens / reflector debate, thanks.

I don't think it is coming from cold starts or any specific mileage. The wear is coming from an empty cylinder on the tensioner due to the design and the way it sits upside down on the left side of the engine.

Stop motor = oil drains out. When you start up it takes a second or two to fill the tensioner up again and create that hydraulic pressure to maintain cam chain tension so during that short period the tensioner bar slaps around a bit and this causes wear.

The new one does not allow the oil to drain out so it's full when you start the motor up and this prevents tensioner bar play from occurring.

That's my rudimentary understanding of it anyway. I think Paul Glaves explained it better in here somewhere but the only thing that sucks worse than my memory is probably my forum searching results...

So maybe not cold starts-I meant/should have asked : "repeated starts" as opposed to hwy miles wherein the engine only starts a few times in a long day? IOW's,is a non-commuter use bike a logical candidate for spending that money?

I use the same Wunderlich magnetic tankbag that I used on my R1100R & it is highest possible quality & couldn't be easier to use!!! Just wipe off the bottom with glove hand & plop it down. Nice clear window on top,expansion zip feature for extra capacity,front,R & L compartments for glasses charge cords,etc.. I use mine to hold cameras while plugged into powerlet outlet straight below, while enroute,similar for heat controller I simply loop wires around the tankbag handle and can position it for easy adjustments. Hard to imagine riding w/o that bag!
I'm real short legs & my bike has OEM low seat option which actually makes the bike fit me well(meaning I can backup at a stop with my feet) at 28.5" inseam. If you have 3" of foam it's safe to say it's not my seat which I use with a sheepskin on long trips over a day ride.

"If I had my life to live over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time...I'd relax,I'd limber up... I would take fewer things seriously...take more chances... take more trips...climb more mountains...swim more rivers...eat more ice cream." Jorge Luis Borges at age 85.

Take a coffee cup. Fill it with coffee. Insert a juice glass into the coffee cup upside down. Set it on the counter with the coffee cup right-side-up. The coffee stays in the cup.

That resembles the tensioner on the right side which is not a problem.

Now invert the whole thing so the coffee cup is upside down. Some coffee runs out all over the counter. That resembles the old style assembly on the left side.

The new style left tensioner contains an outer housing similar to the original design but contains a semi-sealed cylinder and plunger inside the housing. It doesn't leak down much so tension is maintained even at startup.

Some folks have a "what's a little noise" philosophy. This works until chain slap on startup breaks a chain guide. Then very major surgery is required and it isn't pretty or cheap. So installing the revised tensioner is a good idea.

Paul Glaves - "Big Bend", Texas U.S.A
"The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution." - Bertrand Russellhttp://web.bigbend.net/~glaves/

Picked up my R thursday from Touring Sport in Greenville, SC. Good people to deal with. Arrived home friday afternoon, in the rain & mist, left the bike on the trailer went to DMV & got it registered. Unloaded yesterday in the sunshine, checked tire pressure and did a 40 mile loop. Really, really like this bike.
The tensioner was not done, that is on the list.
I'm not sure about the seat, I could use some more leg room. None of the #'s on the seat match up with the low, standard or high #'s on the parts fiche. Seat foam measures about 3" thick. Maybe have to go with lower peg brackets. I have a sheepskin around somewhere and I'll try the Bead seat from my K. I'll have to get some longer rides in before deciding.
What are folks using for tankbags, looking for something small to medium sized?
Headlight upgrade, is there room for an HID hi/low mechanism in the headlight shell? Please, lets not start the lens / reflector debate, thanks.

Bob,
I like the small Cortech tank bag for most of my use on my RR. It doesn't hold a lot, but that means there's less stuff to dig through to get what I am looking for. Its magnetic and has a teather strap. It also has a port to wire it for phone charging, etc.

Oh no, I want to hear a baloney sandwich story!
Paul, you owe it to us all.

Trying to visualize the sandwich and relate it to the splines. Not working.
Does the meat go bad and stink up the clutch housing? Won't the bread soak up the excess grease?
Is the meat the friction plate?
Inquiring minds, etc.